http://www.tested.com/art/movies/459621-godzilla-and-monsters-nuclear-war/

"Many of us grew up with Godzilla on TV, and like a lot of classic monster movies, what was once considered frightening is now tame enough to show to kids. So many people consider Godzilla silly--a guy in a lizard suit stomping on miniature buildings, but his origins were much darker. Godzilla reflected the horror of nuclear war, which was still fresh in the minds of millions of Japanese citizens."

"There’s an upcoming documentary coming next year, Godzilla and Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga, directed by Jonathan Belles, that will take a much more serious look at the real life nuclear holocaust that inspired Godzilla. We spoke with Belles and several other Godzilla experts to talk about the darker origins of the monster, and how Godzilla helped people come to terms with their fear of nuclear holocaust."